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There were some crestfallen hardcore Windows users when Microsoft announced that Windows Media Center would not come with all editions, and that it would not be free. One of the operating system's overlooked gems, Media Center lets you turn your PC into a home entertainment system that can play and record high-definition TV (using tuner hardware), DVDs, and CDs. It's a software DVR that can also play photo slideshows and Internet TV content like that from Showtime, Zune, and Netflix.

But Microsoft found that only a small minority of users took advantage of the operating system's home entertainment app and the royalty charges required to support DVD playback didn't make financial sense for the company. In fact, you won't even be able to buy a Windows 8 PC with Media Center preinstalled: Anyone who wants it will have to add it as described below.

The software maker decided only to offer Media Center as an extra-cost option for Windows 8 Pro (no word on how much this option will cost). You'll also be able to upgrade standard Windows 8 to Pro and get Media Center in one step. The good news is that, for now, you can add Media Center to Windows 8 Release Preview free of charge. It's not installed by default: You'll need to follow the process below.

Getting Media Center on Windows 8 Release Preview
To get Media Center installed on Windows 8 Release Preview, you can type "Add features to Windows 8" from the Start screen, with Settings selected. The choice will be to the right of all the Metro results. This launches the new desktop-based installer. You'll need Media Center's product key, which can be found in Microsoft's Windows 8 FAQ. For reference, it's MBFBV-W3DP2-2MVKN-PJCQD-KKTF7. Once you enter this, you'll see a "Checking key" line at the bottom of the dialog box, and if you entered it correctly, you'll then see the line "Your key works. Continue when you're ready."

Then you accept the license terms, and hit "Add features." After waiting through an "Adding features" message with progress animation, and then another blank screen that says "Adding features" with a percent complete and "Do not shut down your PC" message, your PC restarts. After waiting through another "Adding features" message, you restart Windows 8 to see the last and newest tile on your Metro Start screen is Windows Media Center. Running this opens the desktop app.

About the Author

Michael Muchmore is PC Magazine's lead analyst for software and web applications. A native New Yorker, he has at various times headed up PC Magazine's coverage of Web development, enterprise software, and display technologies. Michael cowrote one of the first overviews of web services for a general audience. Before that he worked on PC Magazine's S... See Full Bio

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